Today’s observations from reading The Early History of Rome: Books I-V of the History of Rome from its Foundation by Livy 📚

The Setting

A slave revolt has seized the citadel on top of Capitoline Hill. The Forum and the Senate House are literally at the foot of the hill, almost a stone’s throw away.

The tribunes of the plebs (in today’s terms, think some combination of public defender, speaker of the house, cop, and mob boss) had been arguing for a year with the patricians (the upper class) over the passage of a law to limit the power of the consuls (think co-presidents).

The fortress within the walls of Rome, home to the most sacred temples of the people, was literally in the hands of hostile, armed men. Think, I dunno, January 6th…

Time for more legal debates !!!

The Capitoline was within sight and even earshot of where debates over the law were taking place. Did the tribunes care? Nope. They wanted the debate to continue on their proposed law:

Is it when the enemy is over our heads that you decide that men shall lay down their arms and discuss laws?’ Then turning to the Assembly he said, ‘If, Quirites, you feel no concern for the City, no anxiety for yourselves, still show reverence for your gods who have been taken captive by an [3] enemy! Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Queen Juno and Minerva, with other gods and goddesses, are being besieged; a camp of slaves holds the tutelary deities of your country in its [4] power. Is this the appearance which you think a State in its senses ought to present —a large hostile force not only within the walls, but in the Citadel, above the Forum, above the Senate-house, whilst meantime the Assembly is being held in the Forum, the senate are in the Senate-house, and as though peace and quiet prevailed, a senator is addressing the House, whilst the Quirites in the Assembly are proceeding to [5] vote?

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They even made up a conspiracy theory that the patricians had orchestrated the rebellion to prevent debate on the law.

The more things change…